Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Chennai, Nov 23 (ANI): Father of newly-crowned World Chess Champion praised Viswanathan Anand and said that Magnus Carlsen has learned a lot from him. Magnus Carlsen became the world chess champion as Game 10 of the chess championship ended in a draw in Chennai. Father of Magnus Carlsen, Henrik Carlsen expressed happiness and said everything has come out in the best possible way. While talking to journalists after the match, Henrik Carlsen praised Anand and said Magnus had learnt a lot from him.

Amul, with the tag line, 'The taste of India' is well known for funny and witty ads featuring the famous 'Amul girl'. Their advertisements are a tradition in themselves featuring the most-talked about event of the week in India. Amul is an Indian dairy cooperative, and is sometimes even referred to as Anand (!!!) Milk Union Limited because it is based in Anand, Gujarat.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Newly-crowned World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen on Monday took home a prize money of Rs 9.90 crore after he beat Viswanathan Anand in a keenly-watched contest that spanned over 10 days.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha gave away the prize money and trophies to the Norwegian sensation and the Indian veteran at a short ceremony that lasted about ten minutes.

Carlsen, the second youngest player after Garry Kasparov to win the coveted chess title of World Chess Champion, was awarded a gold-plated trophy, whose design was handpicked by Jayalalithaa, gold medal and an olive garland (wreath) at the private hotel where the two players had vied for the championship last week.

Anand, a five-time world champion whose title was wrested by the young challenger with a stupendous 6.5-3.5 score, had to settle for the runner-up prize money of Rs 6.03 crore, a silver plaque and silver medal.

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov presented the respective medals to Carlsen and Anand.

The olive wreath, presented to Carlsen, was made of olive leaves from Nilgiris in the state.

The closing ceremony had no speeches, only background announcements in Tamil and English. National anthems of both Norway and India were also played.

Jayalalithaa gave away the winner's gold trophy to Carlsen, amid loud cheers from supporters. She also honoured the 22-year-old Norwegian with an olive garland from the Nilgiri hills, while World Chess Federation president Kirsan Illyumzhinov presented him a gold medal. Magnus Carlsen earned US $1,582,732/€ 1,169,883 for his efforts. Anand, who lost the crown in his home city, was rewarded with prize money of US $964,028/€ 711,021 and a silver medal.

Carlsen became the new world chess champion after defeating Anand by 6.5-3.5 in 12 game match held between November 7 and 22. The crucial tenth game went in a draw and favoured Carlsen to claim the title.

Former world champion Viswanathan Anand, who had checked out of the Presidential Suite on Saturday morning, came directly from his home and left after the ceremony.

Anand was dressed formally in tie and jacket and Carlsen had his jacket on. The venue was the same hall in which the ten games were played. Over 500 people attended the crowded ceremony which also witnessed huge security personnel both inside and outside the hotel. -- PTI/Official website

Friday, November 22, 2013

Five-time title-holder Viswanathan Anand's reign as the world chess champion came to an end today with Norway's Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-fought draw in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship Match.

Carlsen, who will be 23 years on 30th November, closed the championship with two games to spare by taking his tally to required 6.5 points out of a possible ten, winning three and drawing seven games.

In what could be marked as the dawn of a new era in the chess world, Carlsen showed stellar effort yet again by not going for a tame draw when one was enough for him to take the title home.

Instead, the Norwegian made Anand suffer for a long and gruelling four hours and forty five minutes before the Indian could heave a sigh of relief in what was the most one-sided world championship match in modern history.

Anand had won the world championship title five times -- 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 -- but ironically was dethroned in his home town of Chennai.

In a dubious first, this was the only time that Anand failed to win a single game in a world chess championship match.

Starting with his journey in 1991, Anand had always scored at least one victory in each of the matches that he played in the last 22 years.

Carlsen was in his elements right through the tenth game getting what he wanted out of the opening and then pursuing on his favourite mission on grinding out opponent. Anand, this time, did not collapse and came up with some fantastic defense he is known for to steer the game to a draw.

Anand, on expected lines, employed the Sicilian defense and faced the Moscow variation that Carlsen had employed before.

There were no surprises earlier as both players opted for routine theory and it was a Maroczy bind structure on board after Carlsen came up with a check on move three, parting with his light squared Bishop for a knight.

On move 14, Carlsen took back Anand’s light Bishop to even things up and it was again a slow grind thereafter that has been hallmark of Carlsen’s play in this match.

With two minor pieces off the board, the position had only a minuscule advantage for white but Carlsen did not go for the draw. It was on the 21st move that many pundits believed both players will be happy to repeat moves.

Carlsen for obvious reasons and Anand because there was not much hope. However, the Norwegian was the first to deviate from a possible repetition.

Anand found some solace after trading another set of minor pieces but the pressure remained on the Indian. Carlsen went for his final liquidation plan on the 28th move when he pushed his king pawn to fifth rank. Anand temporarily parted with a pawn and recovered it some moves later but this led the game to a pure knight and pawns endgame.

To make matters worse for Anand, Carlsen retained his small advantage as his king quickly walked over to the king side and penetrated the fifth rank. Anand’s knight and king were confined to the defense and to stop further damage.

The players reached the first time control in just three hours when 40 moves were completed but by then it was also clear that either Carlsen will win or it will be a draw. In either case Anand’s campaign was coming to an end and it was a pretty unpleasant task for the five times world champion.

As the game progressed both the players were engrossed in their own ways. Anand showed some signs of nervousness while Carlsen at one point leaned like ‘the Crocodile’ he wants to be if he was an animal. Relaxed but ready to eat the prey when they came its way.

The situation took another dramatic turn on the 46th move when Carlsen sank in to a long thought. The Norwegian looked at the possibilities of sacrificing his last remaining pieces and this is what he did a couple of moves later. In return, Anand lost all his pawns and the players promoted new queens on the board.

Anand had an extra Knight but Carlsen had Queen and a couple of dangerous looking pawns on the queen side.

Finding just the right moves, Anand forced an exchange pretty soon leading to a forced draw. The epic game lasted 65 moves.

Apart from the winning the title, Carlsen will also take home 60 per cent of around Rs. 14 crore as part of his winner’s purse.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Game 9 Press Conference at Chennai World Chess Championship Match 2013: His title defense in tatters after suffering another loss, world chess champion Viswanathan Anand today said he was left with little choice and decided to go for the kill in the ninth game as he had to drastically change the course of the World Chess Championship Match.

Going into the ninth game today with a two-game deficit, Anand said he had to give it a shot.

“In general, the match situation did not leave me with much of a choice. I had to give it a shot, I saw a couple of moments where I could exit but I decided to give it a shot. It seemed very dangerous for black,” the defending champion said.

The Indian Grandmaster mentioned it was a moment of excitement that led to the blunder. “In a sense it was irresponsible or silly but I spent about 40 minutes on this move and then I suddenly saw his response. And for a second I got excited with this knight move (which was the blunder) and simply missed. As soon as I played the knight move I saw what I had done,” the Indian conceded. *28.Nf1 played in position on the left instead of 28.Bf1

Explaining the match situation, Anand said he had no regrets about his choice of opening. “I needed to change the course of the match drastically that’s why I went for this. I had a rest day to get familiar with the lines. Basically this is what I had to do. This was the correct choice so I have no regrets for that,” he noted.

When asked whether he still will go for the kill in the last three games, Anand said he will try. “Of course, I will try but the situation doesn’t look very good,” he said.

As soon as the ninth game ended, giving Magnus Carlsen an unassailable three points lead, highly regarded British grandmaster Nigel Short came out with a tweet: End of an era.

Carlsen showed to the world that his maturity is not confined to the 64 squares in the post-game conference when the question was posed to him. After a usual poise, came the answer. “Let’s be correct this time,” indicating that the match is not over yet. (Unfortunately, a journalist decided to ask that question to Anand even though the tweet was meant for the GM's own Twitter followers.)

The Norwegian agreed that he was even scared for the first time in the match.

“Basically all the time I was scared, white’s position looks menacing. I had to calculate as best as could and go with that. It seems that there wasn’t any mate (checkmate),” Carlsen said.

Speaking about his choices in the game, Carlsen said that it was quite complicated. “We got a very sharp position from the opening. Basically I missed something with e5, in general I would like to block the pawns but there too he has options,” he added.

Looking for the counter play, the Norwegian hit back on the queen side. “I just had to go all out for counter play and there were amazing number of complicated lines, I was not sure what to do. As it happened I had to play the only moves for a long time and fortunately for me he (Anand) blundered.”

After his third victory in just nine games, Carlsen is now just a draw away from dethroning Anand who has remained the undisputed world champion since 2007. -- PTI/Photos by Anastasiya Karlovich/official website

Challenger Magnus Carlsen closed in on the World Chess Champion crown after defeating defending champion Viswanathan Anand in the ninth game of the World Chess Championship match in Chennai today.

On what turned out be a dramatic affair, Anand missed out on his chances with White pieces and suffered a painful defeat that almost sealed the fate of the match.

Carlsen now leads 6-3 and needs just half a point from the remaining three games to become the new world chess champion.

It was a Nimzo Indian defense that Carlsen chose as Black and Anand, realising well that this was his last chance for a strike, went for the Saemisch variation.

Anand had used this system before, in the World Chess Championship match against Vladimir Kramnik, and later in a gem of a match against Wang Hao of China.

Carlsen showed some signs of nervousness in the early stages of the middlegame after he went for a line that is not favoured at top level chess. Anand got his chances by way of a Kingside attack while Carlsen had no option, but to push harder on the other flank. The position in the middlegame looked very dangerous for Carlsen, but with precise calculations, he kept himself in the game.

Even till the end of the game, Carlsen's Queen and one Bishop remained on the initial squares as mere spectators to the proceedings, while he defended his position with all other available resources.

On the 22nd move, Anand had about 25 minutes more than Carlsen and optically dominating position, but the Norwegian World No. 1 had calculated that his King was guarded against any checkmate threats.

On the 23rd move, Anand spent nearly 40 minutes and decided to continue the attack instead of equalising once again. This was more to do with match situation as Anand had things under control but another drawn result would not have improved the match situation.

The 28-move game gave the World No. 1 a three-point lead in the Match. At the start, Viswanathan Anand played 1.d4 for the first time in the match. The challenger and world’s top rated player responded with his trusted Nimzo-Indian defence.

Anand repeated the line that he has already used in the match with Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn 2008. Black was obviously well prepared, as he made a rare recapture on move 7 (exd5 instead of more common Nxd5) and then immediately closed the Queenside with 8…c4.

Anand got the pawns rolling towards the Black King, while Carlsen created a passed pawn on b3, deep within opponent’s territory. Anand spent around 30 minutes to calculate complicated lines before going all in with 23.Qf4.

White went directly for the checkmate and Black promoted a new queen on b1. However, playing too quickly, Anand erred with 28.Nf1, which effectively concluded the game after Carlsen’s reply 28…Qe1.

Carlsen is now leading 6-3 and needs only one draw in the remaining three games to claim the title of FIDE World Chess Champion. -- PTI/Official website

"The first facet of Magnus which struck me was his amazing memory. He could recall almost everything that he heard, read or was shown. Which meant that I couldn't actually read out the same passage of the book more than once. By the second time, he would be telling me what was written even before I started reading. He made rapid strides in his game within a year and his incredible improvement left me quite amazed. Today he is of course a lot more confident as a player," says 34-year-old Torbjoern, who is part of Team Carlsen.

"I remember an instance when I was delivering an online lecture to the national U-20 team, Carlsen scrambled up the chair beside me, curious. I let him join me. I cannot help but admit that during the course of the entire lecture, I was actually hoping he would not be pressing all the keys. He was just restless. I can see that restlessness in him even now, restlessness to win."

While Torbjoern trained the 22-year old challenger to the world title for a year, it was under Simen's decade-long tutelage that Carlsen found his footing. "I think he could be a little nervous since it's his maiden World Championship match, at least I am", says Simen, before pausing to add, "I trained him for 10 years till he finished high school. To me, Magnus is playing chess the way we talked about when he was nine and discussed what a world No. 1 would play like in the era after Kasparov. More practical, less computer chess."

Simen, who is in Chennai to witness the match, is still recovering from a dislocated jaw which he suffered after falling over a lumber. Brother of Carlsen's manager Espen, the 46 year-old feels the match will be all about nerves. "Being well-rested before the games and handling of the nerves will hold the key."

Having had a run-in with Anand during the world junior championship in 1987, Simen only knows too well what could possibly be in store for Carlsen. "I first met Anand in Luzern in 1982. He beat Norwegian player Leif Ogaard in our match against India. He was fast. Supersonic actually. His experience, I think will be invaluable in a match of such intense pressure. Playing with white though, looks like an advantage for Magnus during the course of the match to me," says Simen.

While both Simen and Torbjoern continue to train students in the sport in Norway, they are both agreed that it would be a while before another young Carlsen walks up to them curious, restless and ambitious. -- As told to Susan Ninan/Times of India

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Game 8 Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 Magnus Carlsen - Viswanathan Anand 1/2-1/2: Is an injured tiger more dangerous than a tiger looking for prey? We have four games remaining to find out the answer to that! Game 8 at the Chennai World Chess Championship on Tuesday was a quick draw. That leaves Magnus Carlsen still in lead with a score of 5-3.

Four games are still to be played in the World Chess Championship Match if Viswanathan Anand is to force a tiebreak. Wednesday is the rest day and Anand returns with White in Game 9 on Thursday.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen now needs only three draws or 1.5 points from four games to become the next World Chess Champion.

Game 8 - lasting just 75 minutes and 33 moves - saw Carlsen fire off his moves in only 20 minutes. The only excitement of the game was that Magnus Carlsen battled his own poison - the Berlin - that he uses as a weapon when playing with Black against 1.e4. Anand played took the same route against Carlsen in Game 8.

From Carlsen’s perspective, the draw takes the Norwegian a step closer to the title. Magnus Carlsen played 1.e4 for the first time in the Match. Quick exchanges followed and the chess board came down to pawns and Kings grid-locked in a draw.

Speaking at the press conference, World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand said, "Given the match situation I am expected to liven things up, I will try to do it in the next game."

Dr Jana Bellin conducted the doping tests on the players after the end of Game 8 as part of the FIDE endeavour to become a part of the Olympic family. Anand side-stepped the subject of doping tests at the press conference and went straight to discussing the game of the day. -- Rajat Khanna

The closely fought 199-player Under-9 championship saw the top four players remaining undefeated. The top four places were taken by players from each of the four southern states, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The winners of both the Open Under-10 and Girls Under-10 sections started as second seed.

Divya Deshmukh recovered from an early loss to Chinnam Vyshnavi and won by a comfortable one point margin. Divya had previously won the National Under-7 girls’ championship and the Asian Under-8 Girls’ championship.

The top finishers will represent India in the World Under-10 Championship at Durban in South Africa in 2014.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Chennai World Chess Championship Game 6 - Viswanathan Anand - Magnus Carlsen 0-1: They said Magnus Carlsen does not know chess openings. They said Magnus Carlsen does not have the match experience. The World No. 1 didn't hear what they said. At 22, Magnus Carlsen is now the heavy favourite to become the next World Chess Champion. He has won both Game 5 and 6 and leads 4-2 as the World Chess Championship 2013 goes into half-time.

World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand struggled once again with White pieces in the sixth game on Saturday. The overnight shock continued with a second successive defeat for the Indian who has struck back after similar losses in previous World Chess Championships and eventually won the title.

But, Magnus Carlsen, held steady today. Ironically, any "lesser player" but for Magnus Carlsen would have settled for a draw in both Game 5 and Game 6 which should have been the games' logical conclusions.

Not so with Carlsen. The experts can say the game's a draw. The strongest of computer engines can say the game's a draw. Magnus Carlsen has to play it all and find out for himself.

Anand opened with 1.e4 and faced the Challenger's Berlin Ruy Lopez. Anand stayed away from an early Queen exchange and tried 4.d3 which he has used previously to beat Russian talent Sergey Karjakin. Anand sprung a novelty with 10.Bg5 to pin the Black knight on f6 taking advantage of the fact that Carlsen’s dark-squared bishop is outside the pawn chain. Carlsen traded the light-squared bishops, steered his Knight back from c6 to b8 to d7 to support the Knight pinned on f6.

Game 6 press conference

The game was very much level even after Carlsen neutralised Anand's subsequent central operations. Anand tried to push considering the previous loss in Game 5 and walked straight into an endgame to the liking of the World No. 1. Carlsen was quick to end all White's chances with a series of exchanges diluting down to a Queen and Rook plus pawns endgame.Anand, unable to deny his inherent human element, faltered while facing Carlsen's adamant chess. Even then, versus someone else, such minute mis-steps by the World Chess Champion would not have mattered. Unfortunately, for fans rooting for Anand, Carlsen pounces upon even the slightest of errors like a carnivore looking to devour.

Thereafter, it was Carlsen playing for a win or draw, while Anand was on the backfoot trying to save a draw. Carlsen soon went pawn up even though the position was still theoretically a draw. This was exactly the case in Game 5 as well. Magnus Carlsen played on and on to win again.

In the post-game press conference, Carlsen said he was happy to have a nice lead at the half-way stage in the World Chess Championship Match. Viswanathan Anand said the loss was a blow and he would not try to pretend otherwise.

Magnus Carlsen needs just 2.5 points more from six games to become the new World Chess Champion. Sunday is a rest day and Game 7 will be played on Monday. -- Rajat Khanna

Friday, November 15, 2013

Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 Game 5 goes down in history as the first game won by Magnus Carlsen at the event versus Viswanathan Anand: What was it? The overnight stay at Fisherman's Cove, the Pyjama Girls' effect, sister Ellen's intuitive tweets of a victory for Magnus Carlsen, more supporters at the venue, or just pure chess? Possibly all combined.

This one's going to be one for both history and chess classrooms: World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand lost to World No.1 Magnus Carlsen after 58 moves (five and a half hours) in a Rook ending that really wasn't losing until the very end. Finally, Anand blinked on Friday. All earlier four games at the World Chess Championship Match have been drawn so far.

The Challenger, for the first time in the match, played 1.c4 instead of 1.Nf3 which he had tried so far with White. Not opting for the main variations, the game steered from Semi-Slav to Noteboom to Marshall Attack and a Nimzo-Indian pawn structure with the rare 6.Nc3. Carlsen also sprung a surprise with 10.Qd3. Eventually, the pair of central pawns were exchanged and white dark-squared bishop had better scope.

Black ‘won’ the bishops pair and isolated one of the opponent’s pawns, but white completed the development and was ready for action. One careless move by black – 13…Bc7 – allowed Carlsen to perform convenient exchanges and transform the structure to his advantage.

Both players had pawn weaknesses but white pieces enjoyed greater activity. White was slightly better without any risks. Anand’s bishop was passive but it successfully protected the entry points on the 7th rank. Black also activated the rook along the fifth rank though it seemed to get blocked there. Both of Black's rooks remained disconnected for ages.

White couldn’t break in and black pieces gradually gained activity. However, Anand still had to find the best moves just to stay in the game. He did so for some time until a careless check 45…Rc1+ cost him the a-pawn. In the resulting rook endgame with ‘a’ and ‘h’ pawns, white pieces were ideally placed to force the quick advance of the passed pawn on the a-file. Anand resigned after Carlsen got the second passed pawn on the h-file rolling.

In the post-match press conference, Carlsen said the first to win a game does not mean he has won the match. There are still seven games to go. The sixth game, in which Anand has White, will be played on Saturday. Here is a summary of all live streams that you can use for viewing Game 6 live. -- Rajat Khanna (inputs via official website)

Thursday, November 14, 2013

World Chess Championship Challenger Magnus Carlsen's father, Henrik has some great advice for parents, particularly chess parents: Don't push your kids into anything. Here are excerpts from a LiveMint interview with the World No. 1's father (Photo: Photo: SaiSen/Mint)

How was Magnus as a child different from his three sisters? He wasn’t different at all as child. He was pretty much the same as his sisters. We didn’t notice anything unusual at all. For instance, I am good with numbers. So was Magnus till he turned 5, but after that, he didn’t take interest in numbers at all.

Honestly, it took us a long time to figure out that Magnus could be good at chess or be different from his sisters in any way at all. So the way we brought him up wasn’t different at all from the way we raised our other children.

But it was you who introduced Magnus to chess, isn’t it? Yes, I taught him the game when he was 5, but initially he didn’t take much interest in it. It was like that for many years, and I didn’t care. He suddenly started taking interest in chess when he was about to turn 8. And he developed that interest completely on his own. At that time, he was also interested in football, and till about 12, he played a lot of football as well.

At what point did you realize that he was a gifted chess player?When he started taking interest in chess, he could really focus on it. He wasn’t interested in anything else at all. It was only then that we realized that Magnus could focus on only one thing, unlike other children who would be interested in several things. For Magnus, it was chess and chess alone.

That was the time when we realized that he was somewhat different from other children of his age. He must have been 8 or 9 at that time.

By the time, he turned 9 or nine-and-a-half, he started beating me at chess. So, looking at his drive from within, we thought maybe Magnus wants to play chess seriously. My wife, though, wasn’t much interested in chess initially.

He quit studies quite early in his life. Was it his decision? Did you agree with him when he did that? He must have been 16 by the time he decided to quit studies. Initially, we always encouraged him to pay attention to his studies as well. There were times when we would have to ask him to stop playing chess, skip tournaments and so on, so that he could finish his homework and cope with studies. But never the other way round.

When he eventually decided to quit studies—and that was completely his own decision—we didn’t object to it because by that time it was clear to everyone that he definitely had a future in chess. Chess always came first, so we would never have to push him to train in chess.

Also, being a Norwegian helped. Because of the high standards of social security in Norway and other Scandinavian countries, children there are able to explore special things.

For somebody of Magnus’ IQ, he would have been good at many other things, not just chess. What do you think he could have become had he not taken a liking for chess? No, no, no… I don’t know about his IQ. I don’t know what he could have become had he not played chess. You should ask him what he wishes to be when he quits playing. So far, he has only played chess and has always focused on it.

Having brought up a prodigy, what is your advice to young parents?Honestly, we never thought of Magnus as a prodigy and bringing him up wasn’t in any manner different from bringing up my other children. We treated him in the same way as the others in the family because, as I said, he never appeared to be different in any manner.

It was only when he started focusing on chess and we could see that he could switch himself off from everything else, did we realize that he turned out to be somewhat different from his sisters, or other children for that matter. Since then, he has only been doing what he loves to do: play chess. And we didn’t stop him from following his passion.

My advice to young parents is that they shouldn’t pressure their children into doing anything. They should allow the children to decide for themselves what they like. This can take time but if eventually a child can focus on something—like Magnus could focus on chess—allow him to pursue a career in what he enjoys doing.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Game 4 at Chennai World Chess Championship Viswanathan Anand vs Magnus Carlsen 1/2-1/2: Were it not for reigning World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand's 'Houdini' escape act with clever defence, challenger Magnus Carlsen could have scored the first win of the event.

The World Chess Champion survived the Berlin Defence with an extremely patiently played Game 4 in Chennai. Carlsen tried to push with all his might for a win while playing almost the entire game a pawn up, but it was not to be. Carlsen did not play the Caro Kann as he had done with Black in Game 2.

The Berlin defense became famous after Vladimir Kramnik used it to beat Garry Kasparov in the World Chess Championship Match of 2000 in London. Carlsen deviated from the more popular line of 10...Ke8 with 10...Be7. It's not a novelty, but it has particularly been played lately by Jon Ludvig Hammer - Magnus Carlsen's friend and second. Also, on the 15th move, Carlsen went Be6 instead of the more popular Bc6.

The 64 moves of Game 4 were pure gold. Anand had won a game versus Sergey Karjakin earlier this year by using the 4.d3 sideline. However, he used the main line against Carlsen in Game 4.

Magnus Carlsen went into a long think at the 18th move to decide whether to take the a-pawn or not. Thereafter, the game became a struggle of regrouping pieces while Black had to find a way to activate his Black Rook on a8 despite being a pawn up. White managed to withstand any damage by advancing his Kingside pawn majority and keeping the pressure on Carlsen.

The position became extremely complicated. Anand found a fantastic resource in 35.Ne4! which helped him to finally open up Black's King on the Queenside and equalise. The defending champion remained a pawn down, but as more and more material got exchanged, White came closer to a draw and finally achieved it.Right till the end, Carlsen even tried all kinds of checkmating threats living up to his promise of playing to the end, but Anand was up to the challenge all through. The game lasted just about six hours.

Eight classical time-control games are still to be played in the 12-game World Chess Championship Match. The score is now tied at 2-2. The last two games have been deadly energy-draining fights to the bitter end. More exciting chess is surely likely after the second rest day on Thursday. -- Rajat Khanna

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Defending champion Viswanathan Anand on Tuesday gave his Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen a scare despite playing with black pieces even though the third game of the World Chess Championship clash ended in a long-grinding draw.

The third game turned out to be a hard fought affair lasting 51 moves after a rather sedate start that had seen the first two games ending in draws without any real excitement.

Midway into the third game today, Anand appeared to have seized the initiative with some 'spot on' manoeuvres, but the world number one Carlsen saved the situation with his counter play.

Later at the post-game conference, Carlsen conceded that he felt "scary" though he averted the danger.

The Game 3 handshake: official website

"I was worse, and then I probably made it more worse. I missed some simple things in the middle game, may be I had enough play and it was not a disaster but it was scary," Carlsen said.

After the third draw on the trot, the deadlock continues with none of the two rivals refusing to blink so far, but what happened at the Hyatt on Tuesday was probably a clear indication that a rough battle is now shaping up.

The scores stand at 1.5 points for both players and the five-time world chess champion Anand will have the advantage of playing with white pieces in the fourth game tomorrow.

Carlsen showed his intentions of a bloody battle when, contrary to the popular belief, repeated the Reti opening.

"I was expecting that Carlsen would jump from one opening to another," said Grandmaster RB Ramesh, who is a part of the live commentary team here.

As is typical of the Reti opening, the changes to several set ups is possible. Carlsen went for a position akin to the English opening that was more of a Sicilian Dragon with colours reversed.

The Middle game took a major turn when Carlsen deviated his attention to the King side by a queen sortie but Anand was alert enough.

With some 'spot on' manoeuvres, the Indian world chess champion then seized the initiative pushing the white queen to the edge of the board only to see Carlsen avert the danger with his counter play.

As the game progressed, Carlsen got back in his groove and got his counter play in the form of a thematic central break through. Thereafter, the Norwegian was pretty much at ease as the game quickly changed shape once again.

Anand knew there was sufficient play for both sides when he allowed liquidation to a position that had Bishops of opposite colours. The Indian had a small weakness on the king side that could be easily covered.

"Obviously for black what he is getting is the two Bishops, if I can role my queen side pawns down I would be better," Anand noted in the post-game chat.

Anand won a pawn in the small tactical battle that ensued but it was not enough. Carlsen was quick to launch some threats and the Indian decided to go for further liquidation by trading the last pair of rooks on the 37th move.

Carlsen accepted the exchange offer and won the pawn with his next few precise moves and after that it was a completely drawn position on the board.

However, the players continued the battle almost till the last nail. It was just the two Bishops remaining on board when the players signed the truce after 51 moves.

In the fourth game on Wednesday, Anand will get his second white in the 12-game match that has Rs 14 crore as the prize fund.

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Anand vs Carlsen

We've been celebrating the World Chess Championship 2013. The new World Chess Champion is Magnus Carslen, but we will continue to post links, views, features surrounding the World Chess Championship 2013 for the sheer joy of having witnessed chess history being created. Feel free to share opinion, links, and even point out errors - no matter which side you have been cheering for. Let's just continue celebrating a historic chess event. (Email: editor@blackandwhiteindia.com)